Fill level reflectometer having a variable measurement sequence

Abstract

A fill level radar device for fill level measurement in accordance with the reflectometer method is provided, including a control circuit that is designed for changing the number of steps, the frequency spacings between the individual steps, the durations of the individual steps, the width of the frequency band, the frequency of the lowest step and/or the frequency of the highest step. The operating sequence can be optimised thereby.

We claim: 
     
       1. A fill level measurement device for fill level measurement in accordance with a reflectometer method, the device comprising:
 a signal source assembly configured to generate an electromagnetic transmission signal during a fill level measurement phase, 
 wherein the electromagnetic transmission signal is frequency-modulated in steps, 
 wherein each step of said steps has a constant frequency over a period of time that is more than twice that of a delay time of the electromagnetic transmission signal from the signal source assembly to a filling material, and 
 wherein individual constant frequencies of the electromagnetic transmission signal are distributed within a defined frequency band; and 
 a control circuit configured to change a number of the steps, frequency spacings between individual steps, durations of the individual steps, a width of the defined frequency band, a frequency of a lowest step, or a frequency of a highest step, 
 wherein steps in a central region of the defined frequency band of the electromagnetic transmission signal last longer than steps in edge regions of the defined frequency band of the electromagnetic transmission signal. 
 
     
     
       2. The fill level measurement device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the control circuit is further configured to generate the electromagnetic transmission signal in at least two partial signals that are temporally separated from one another, between transmission of which partial signals towards the filling material the signal source assembly is deactivated. 
 
     
     
       3. The fill level measurement device according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein frequencies of the steps of a second partial signal of the at least two partial signals are between frequencies of the steps of the first partial signal. 
 
     
     
       4. The fill level measurement device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the control circuit is further configured to carry out the change using characteristic variables, which have been input by a user or which have been detected by the fill level measurement device. 
 
     
     
       5. The fill level measurement device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a transceiver circuit, configured to:
 transmit the electromagnetic transmission signal towards a filling material surface; 
 receive a reflected electromagnetic transmission signal reflected from the filling material surface; and 
 perform heterodyne mixing of the received reflected electromagnetic transmission signal with a signal of a further signal source assembly so as to form a reflection-dependent reception signal from which the fill level can be determined. 
 
 
     
     
       6. The fill level measurement device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the control circuit is further configured to determine exactly one fill level measurement value during the fill level measurement phase. 
 
     
     
       7. A method for fill level determination in accordance with a reflectometer method, comprising the following steps:
 starting a fill level measurement phase; 
 generating an electromagnetic transmission signal during the fill level measurement phase, 
 wherein the electromagnetic transmission signal is frequency-modulated in steps, 
 wherein each step of said steps has a constant frequency over a period of time that is more than twice that of a delay time of the electromagnetic transmission signal from the signal source assembly to a filling material, and 
 wherein individual constant frequencies of the electromagnetic transmission signal are distributed within a defined frequency band; 
 determining the fill level from data acquired during the fill level measurement phase; 
 changing a number of the steps, frequency spacings between individual steps, durations of the individual steps, a width of the defined frequency band, a frequency of a lowest step, or a frequency of a highest step, 
 wherein steps in a central region of the defined frequency band of the electromagnetic transmission signal last longer than steps in edge regions of the defined frequency band of the electromagnetic transmission signal. 
 
     
     
       8. A nontransitory computer-readable storage medium having a program stored therein, which, when executed on a processor of a fill level measurement device, instructs the fill level radar device to perform a method according to  claim 7 .